Jonathan Jones

Mervyn King vs. Goldman Sachs

What did the Governor of the Bank of England think of Goldman Sachs’ plan to wait until the 50p rate is cut in April to pay bonuses? At this morning’s Treasury Select Committee, Mervyn King declined Teresa Pearce’s invitation to label it ‘morally repugnant’ but did declare it ‘depressing’, ‘clumsy’ and ‘lacking in care and attention to how other people might react’. According to the BBC, Goldman Sachs has since decided not to press ahead with the plan — perhaps they heeded King’s warning that ‘in the long-run financial institutions, like all large institutions, do depend on goodwill from the rest of society’.

Here’s the video and transcript of King’s comments: